In the wake of perhaps the worst political failure of Barack Obama’s term short of his 2010 midterm loss, the President vowed to continue to push forward on gun-control measures, especially background checks. One of the lead Senators on that effort appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to insist that the fight isn’t over. Joe Manchin insisted that he could convince enough of his colleagues to flip on the background checks, at least:

The public face of a failed amendment to expand background checks for gun purchases promised to continue pushing his legislation Thursday, saying hell work with skittish Democrats who voted against the bill.

These are good people, Manchin said of other conservative Democrats who opposed the legislation. Ive got to sit down. Theres more work Ive got to do. Ive got to sit down and work with my colleagues. Heidi Heitkamp is my friend. Im just so tickled to death she is there. I got to get Heidi comfortable so the people in North Dakota know how good she is and what we can do to make her feel comfortable that we represented the people. Im not going to allow a criminal or an Al Qaeda terrorist to be able to go to the gun show like he advertised to pick up guns but if there is some language that is uncomfortable, Ive got to work harder to make them comfortable. If the NRA didnt score this, we wouldve had 15 more votes.

That comes as news to Manchin’s partner on background checks. Pat Toomey told a local Allentown reporter that he had had enough, and plans on returning to fiscal issues:

The two senators behind a failed agreement to expand background checks on gun purchases appeared headed in different directions Thursday after the Republican half of the duo said he was ready to move on.

We have a lot of other issues we have to deal with, Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Pat Toomey told the Allentown Morning Call. Chief among them is getting our fiscal house in order. Ill be getting back to that. …

Despite his desire to return to his signature economic issues, Toomey said he doesnt regret working with Manchin on the bill.

I did the best I could. I wish it had passed, but the Senate has spoken and these things happen, he told the paper. Its always worth it to do the right thing no regrets.

The likelihood of this coming back up in the Senate is slim, approaching zero. First, Manchin would have to get Toomey back on board, and rewrite the bill to make it work. That means another round of legislative process just to get it to a vote — which would take a few weeks to a few months. That would put the bill in clear sight of the 2014 election cycle, which means that the red-state Democrats who passed on it the first time will be even less likely to climb on board.

Failure in this case matters greatly, too. The fact that the Senate didn’t pass it the first time means that incumbent Senators are not going to be inclined to expose themselves to political risk a second time, not without assurances that they can claim some sort of success as a balance to the damage they will take over it. And with the House clearly uninterested in taking up anything passed by the Senate on this topic — especially after the flop yesterday, and even more especially on the fact that Obama could only get 40 votes for his assault-weapons ban — most Senators will be looking for other issues to address.

And as Gallup reminded us this week, 96% of Americans think there are more pressing issues than guns.

Joe Manchin really is showing his true colors here. He gets elected by shooting a bullet through Obamacare. Now he’s Advocate # 1 for gun control. Too bad he didn’t tell the people of West Virginia this would be his priority if elected. And on top of that, he votes pretty much party line with the Dems. Sure, he may grumble about certain things but when it counts, he’s just like any other Dem. I would think that Manchin’s priority #1 would be stopping Obama’s War on Coal, but I guess that doesn’t really matter to him.

5
posted on 04/18/2013 10:14:40 AM PDT
by Opinionated Blowhard
("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")

Yes, you are correct. He is gonna get primaried. He may survive that but it’s gonna bleed him dry. And then nobody is going to be crawling over broken glass to come vote for him in the fall.

The Dems will nominate another Bob Casey type who talks a good game on being pro-gun and pro-life, and he will win. Most people around here are social conservatives, but they actually PREFER the failed economics of FDR.

“His (political) scalp on a pike will go a long, long way towards assuring this.”

Only after he is tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail for the entire public at large to view and take heed of for any future politician who thinks American’s Bill of Rights are up for a debate in the US Senate!

17
posted on 04/18/2013 10:21:43 AM PDT
by PotatoChop
(Respect is earned, not demanded by this out of control socialist government!)

And as Gallup reminded us this week, 96% of Americans think there are more pressing issues than guns.

I am in that 4%, and I wonder how many other conservatives are in that category. There is no more pressing issue than the people retaining the power to resist the federal government should that government (unlikely as that may seem) spiral out of control. Protecting the Second Amendment is the most pressing issue, especially when it is under attack. That is followed by protecting the rest of the Constitution, which the Second Amendment allows us to defend, and then cutting the size and cost of government to balance the budget and pay off the debt.

29
posted on 04/18/2013 10:48:24 AM PDT
by Pollster1
("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)

The memory (and video) of the disgusting Obama slobbering all over Toomey with admiration while seething with hatred for the opponents of this legislation after the vote yesterday will be with Toomey forever. That alone should tell Toomey he was on the wrong side of this issue. This should also send a message to Marco Rubio on immigration as well.

I like Toomey and this is the first time he’s done something that I disagree with. IMHO trying to primary him will be a mistake. We need to replace PA’s OTHER Senator, the Dumbocrat Casey. Get the guy (or gal) you would have replaced Toomey with and use ‘em to replace Casey and then we’ll talk.

Exactly. A year or two before his election, Manchin will start making a bunch of speeches that get play in the W VA press that make him sound conservative on issues. He’ll get photographed hunting and fishing and talking about family values. He’ll get quoted slamming Democrats in Washington for being out of touch. And the press will protect him by not writing about his actual record. The low information voters will think he’s the same “conservative Democrat” that they thought they elected before and vote for him.

34
posted on 04/18/2013 11:05:37 AM PDT
by Opinionated Blowhard
("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")

A full background check by the FBI, same as for a security clearance. Results made public before a candidate can get on the ballot. Same for appointees before senate hearings. I have been saying this for years. Many people I have spoken to think this is a good idea. Politicians, not so much.

37
posted on 04/18/2013 11:42:56 AM PDT
by shooter223
(the government should fear the citizens......not the other way around)

Yes Mr Toomey as a Pennsylvania voter I can assure you that you are indeed done.
You can not ask people to vote for you as a conservative and then back plans to whittle away our Constitutional rights. You WILL NOT get my vote again........

39
posted on 04/18/2013 1:11:03 PM PDT
by SECURE AMERICA
(Where can I sign up for the American Revolution 2013 and the Crusades 2013?)

Yes Mr Toomey as a Pennsylvania voter I can assure you that you are indeed done.
You can not ask people to vote for you as a conservative and then back plans to whittle away our Constitutional rights. You WILL NOT get my vote again........

40
posted on 04/18/2013 1:16:04 PM PDT
by SECURE AMERICA
(Where can I sign up for the American Revolution 2013 and the Crusades 2013?)

Well now let’s face the reality that Toomey was mostly likely always going to be a one-term Senator. He was elected in 2010, a great year for the GOP. But 2016 will be a Presidential year, with Philadelphia having 110% turnout helping the Democratic Presidential candidate (probably Hillary) easily carry the state, and likely carrying Toomey’s opponent to victory as well.

His best bet is if he gets a weak opponent like Santorum was lucky enough to get when he won reelection in 2000. Barring that, he’s likely toast.

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